Page:Nostromo (1904).djvu/348

Nostromo : A Tale of the Seaboard island was oppressed by a bizarre sense of unreality, affecting the very ground upon which he walked, the mind of the capataz of the cargadores turned alertly to the problem of future conduct. Nostromo 's facul- ties, working on parallel lines, enabled him to steer straight, to keep a lookout for Hermosa, near which he had to pass, and to try to imagine what would happen to-morrow in Sulaco. To-morrow, or, as a matter of fact, to-day, since the dawn was not very far, Sotillo would find out in what way the treasure had gone. A gang of cargadores had been employed in loading it into a railway -truck from the custom-house store-rooms and running the truck onto the wharf. There would be arrests made, and certainly before noon Sotillo would know in what manner the silver had left Sulaco and who it was that took it out.

Nostromo's intention had been to sail right into the harbor, but at this thought, by a sudden touch of the tiller, he threw the lighter into the wind and checked her rapid way. His reappearance with the very boat would raise suspicions, would cause surmises, would absolutely put Sotillo on the track. He himself would be arrested; and, once in the calabozo, there was no saying what they would do to him to make him speak. He trusted himself, but he stood up to look around. Near by Hermosa showed low, its white surface as flat as a table, with the slight run of the sea raised by the breeze washing over its edges noisily. The lighter must be sunk at once.

He allowed her to drift with her sail aback. There was already a good deal of water in her. He allowed her to drift towards the harbor entrance, and, letting